LightSwitch Consulting Services for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and SQL Server Databases
Background on Microsoft LightSwitch
Microsoft introduced Visual Studio LightSwitch in 2011 as a new rapid application development platform for Visual Studio .NET. It's appropriate for a subset of database applications that can be created at a fraction of the cost and complexity versus traditional .NET solutions.
Microsoft is No Longer Enhancing LightSwitch
LightSwitch was enhanced with Visual Studio 2013, but Microsoft ended development with Visual Studio 2015. We at FMS can help you maintain existing LightSwitch applications and migrate them to a non-LightSwitch Visual Studio .NET solution.
What Does LightSwitch Offer?
Dramatically Reduced Development Time
LightSwitch provides the ability to deliver incredibly rich, intuitive, secure, and easy to use applications, while supporting Windows, Mac and browser clients. It offers a way to build affordable, reliable, and scalable custom solutions with user-friendly views of your data.
VS LightSwitch uses extensible application shells to provide users with the familiar feel of popular Microsoft software, significantly reducing the learning curve, training, and your application adoption time.
Customization Using Visual Studio .NET
LightSwitch can create database applications without extensive coding. As part of the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET family, LightSwitch also supports customization using C# and VB.NET programming languages.
This offers the benefits of managed code and Visual Studio .NET programming features without having to learn all of it.
Direct Support for Microsoft SQL Server
LightSwitch works directly with SQL Server databases. It understands table structures, primary keys, referential integrity, one-to-many relationships, and other database architecture so that it binds directly to your table, fields, and records.
It also supports SQL Server databases hosted on Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform.
Built-In Security and Active Directory Support
The authentication models in LightSwitch simplifies the management of users and roles.
Easily set and change user data access and authorization, including integration with Active Directory implementations on your network.
It also integrates with the security model of traditional .NET solutions.
Silverlight and HTML5 Platforms
LightSwitch can create rich client applications when users install Silverlight which is supported on Windows and Macs, but not iPads and smartphones.
In 2013, LightSwitch added HTML5 support to be mobile and iPad friendly. There are advantages and limitations to both platforms, as well as differences from traditional .NET applications. Unfortunately, this complexity and Microsoft ending support for Silverlight effectively doomed LightSwitch.
We created a matrix comparison between Microsoft Access, LightSwitch and standard Visual Studio development platforms to help you better understand the issues.
How We Can Help
Maintaining and Migrating LightSwitch Applications
We have experience using LightSwitch to create complete applications as part of a larger .NET solution. With Microsoft ending development for LightSwitch in future versions of Visual Studio, we can help you maintain your existing LightSwitch applications and/or transition them to standard Visual Studio projects.
Please Contact Us to learn more about how we can help you.
Technologies and Services
Why Choose FMS?
Founded in 1986, FMS is a privately held, small business. Our clients include businesses of all sizes, non-profits, and local and federal government agencies. Our developers serve many local clients in the Mid-Atlantic, Washington DC metropolitan area. We also have clients across the country from California to Massachusetts, and Alaska to Florida, in addition to our international clients. Many of our custom solutions are deployed around the world with language localization support.
With our experience, extensive code library, and tested processes, FMS offers great solutions at very competitive prices. Email or call us at 703-356-4700 to learn more about our consulting services and how our staff of full-time professionals can help you. FMS is located in Tysons Corner in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC.
